Transforming Homelessness Through Education, Skill Development, Human Connection & Lasting Change.
Greetings, my name is Rick Wadsworth, EdD— a self-funded, self-directed homeless advocate and educator in Salt Lake City. I have spent 18 months conducting “man-on-the-street” interviews with people experiencing homelessness to better understand their needs, struggles, culture, and the gaps that currently exist in Utah’s response. I’ve discovered that the symptoms of homelessness are being addressed (i.e. lack of food & shelter) but not the causes of it (i.e. childhood trauma & abuse, attachment disorders, family dysfunction, poor role-models, anti-social behaviors, gang-life, incarceration, job loss, skyrocketing rent, medical bills, inability to manage emotions, anxiety/ depression and other mental health struggles, and drug addiction). As a result, most are stuck at the bottom with no way out and the problem only getting worse.
Out of the Dust recognizes that faith, spirituality, meaning, and a sense of purpose & personal worth are important sources of hope and resilience for many people.
This site is a call-to-action to: 1) create public awareness & political dialogue 2) encourage people to donate much needed supplies, get involved and 3) locate venues throughout the valley to teach free lifestyle classes. To fix homelessness, new channels of learning and insight must open up for all parties involved—the public, the politicians, and those living on the streets—and appropriate resources directed accordingly. Please join me in this fight to save lives.
